Shona Robison defended the £250million – after the £500million promise

Doctors believed their campaign for 11% of the health budget to be spent on GPs had worked when First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced extra funding at the SNP’s autumn conference.

She said: “‘By the end of this parliament, we will increase spending on primary care services to 11% of the frontline NHS budget.

“That’s what doctors have said is needed. And it is what we will deliver. And let me be clear what that means. By 2021, an extra half billion pounds will be invested in our GP practices and health centres.”

However, the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) Scotland highlighted in a submission to the Scottish Parliament Health Committee that a letter sent to surgeries mentioned “an extra £250 million per year by 2021” in “direct support of general practice”.

Health Secretary Shona Robison later said in response to a parliamentary question that the £250 million per year would increase the “overall investment in primary care” by £500 million while the party’s Westminster health spokeswoman said in an interview GPs would get 11% of health spending.

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RCGP Scotland highlighted the current primary care budget is about 23% of NHS Scotland funding and claims this means “it is clear that the First Minister must have meant for the full £500 million additional funds to be delivered to general practice services, assuming she cannot have intended a cut to primary care of 12% of NHS Scotland spending”.

The GP body warned if the “underfunding and confusion that we are currently experiencing is to continue”, further GP surgeries would close.

Scottish Conservative health spokesman Miles Briggs said: “This has turned into a funding con by the SNP.

“Nicola Sturgeon happily stood with GPs and backed their campaign for an extra £500 million to be directly invested in general practice.

“Now, this has been cut in half and the SNP is offering some waffle about the money being spent more generally.

“It’s no wonder doctors are furious about this deception.”

He has written to Ms Robison urging her to clarify the funding position.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “As the First Minister announced last year, a further £500 million will be invested in primary care by the end of this parliament. This spending increase in primary care, to 11% of the frontline NHS budget, will support the development of a multi-disciplinary approach, with increased staffing as well as investment in GP services and health centre

“Health Secretary Shona Robison recently set out that £250 million of this new investment will be in direct support of general practice, helping to transform the way services are delivered in the community – an approach that was agreed with the British Medical Association.”

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